Command line parsing with CLI11

[philippeverley]

There is no command line management system in TROLL. It is hard coded in the main function.

           for(int argn=1;argn<argc;argn++){ // Arguments of the input and output files
                if(*argv[argn] == '-'){
                    switch(*(argv[argn]+1)){
                        case 'i':
                            Config::bufi = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'd':                       // new v.3.0; initialisation of daytime variation in a separate file ('d' for daytime variation)
                            Config::bufi_daytimevar = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'm':                       // new v.2.4; initialisation of climate parameters from separate file ('m' for meterology)
                            Config::bufi_climate = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'p':                       // new v.3.0; initialisation of soil parameters from separate file ('p' for pedology)
                            Config::bufi_soil = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 's':                       // new v.3.0; initialisation of species parameters from separate file
                            Config::bufi_species = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'o':
                            Config::buf = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'f':                      // new v.2.3: initialisation from field, 'f' for "forest", "field data"
                            Config::bufi_data = argv[argn]+2;
                            Config::_FromInventory = 1;        // new v.3.1: automatic recognition of whether data sheet is provided or not
                            break;
                        case 'w':                      // new v.2.3: initialisation from field, 'f' for "forest", "field data"
                            Config::bufi_dataSWC = argv[argn]+2;
                            break;
                        case 'l':
                            Config::bufi_pointcloud = argv[argn]+2;  // new v.3.1.6: output of simulated point clouds for TROLL-created stands
                            Config::_OUTPUT_pointcloud = 1;
                            break;
                        case 'n':
                            easympi_rank=atoi(argv[argn]+2); // new v.2.2
                            
                    }
                }
            }

After a quick review, I suggest to you CLI11 command line parser to handle input arguments.

[sylvainschmitt]

I don't know if I need to add an issue and/or a milestone, but a point I'm attentive to is the maintenance of rcontroll on my side, and thus the new TROLL C++ code compatibility with its architecture. I imagine the command line parsing module could be where it took place with Rcpp taking control over CLI11, but I fear this is not that simple. An alternative I'm not really confident in developing would be to avoid using Rcpp at all and interact with the compiled c++ native TROLL code such as in cmdstanr: https://github.com/stan-dev/cmdstanr .

[philippeverley]

I will add issues today on that topic. Actually I want to bridge the gap asap between TROLL and rcontroll so that there is one single application that you can compile either as a standolone application or an R package. I keep you posted!

[sylvainschmitt]

Yes I had it in mind thank you. Do not hesitate to contact me when you are on it. And I hope it will not complicate too much your developments.